A concert of the Royal Bangkok Orchestra was held in St. Petersburg.

The St. Petersburg Philharmonic hosted a concert by the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, a cultural event that marked the culmination of a cross-year of cultural exchanges and tourism between Russia and Thailand. The footage of the event is available to Izvestia.

The orchestra presented a unique program, which, among other things, included the compositions of the Princess of Thailand. The percussionist of the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, Panthit Rojvatam, said that in addition to violins, double basses, bassoons and clarinets, the most unusual instrument was used.

"In our orchestra, we use the sound of a bicycle in the piece — this sound is quite soft. Yes, usually there is no bicycle playing in the orchestra, but we use it," he noted.

The Royal Bankoga Symphony Orchestra played in Russia for the first time in its history. The public's interest in one of the best bands in Southeast Asia is enormous - there are no empty seats in the hall. A special program has been prepared for the Russian audience.

As the Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom, Chettaphan Maksamphan, emphasized, music introduces the listener to Thailand. The bells of Buddhist temples, the singing of Mynah birds and thunderstorms over the Gulf of Thailand can be heard in it.

"This music is special — it's about Thailand. It conveys the mood and tone of the country," he said.

A fantasy for piano and orchestra was performed from the compositions of the Princess of Thailand.

"She's really in love with the piano, and she also really likes the violin. She used this composition for her fashion show," explained orchestra conductor Vanit Potavanit.

Russian musicians also perform solo in the orchestra. As pianist Dmitry Maseev shared, Thai music pays homage to our classics.

"There is even such homage to Rachmaninov, which is doubly pleasing to me as a pianist. The music is incredibly beautiful and pleasant to the ear, very harmonious and melodic," he said.

As Alexander Beglov, the governor of St. Petersburg, concluded, real art is outside politics. He noted that this is confirmed by the arrival of Thai musicians.

"Culture cannot be abolished, and our Thai friends confirm this. Culture for all of us is a unity of exchange, this is what pleases our people both in Thailand, in Russia, and around the world," he said.

Concerts of the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra will also be held on April 4 in Moscow. The program of the Russian tour includes an exquisite selection of compositions celebrating Thailand and the genius of royal composers, demonstrating the beauty of Thai melodies within the framework of classical music. Maestro Potavanit is at the conductor's desk.